What is ISPM 15, and why does the wood of an art crate matter at customs?
The ISPM 15 stamp shows that the raw wood of a crate was treated under an official plant-health system, by heat, dielectric heating or fumigation. The mark has four parts: a symbol, a country code, a treatment provider code and a treatment code such as HT. It certifies the wood, not the painting inside.
What ISPM 15 is, and what the stamp says
ISPM 15 is the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade, produced under the International Plant Protection Convention. Its purpose is plant health: it sets approved measures that reduce the risk of pests travelling inside wood packaging. The current text was adopted in 2018 and published in 2019.
The wood must be debarked and given an approved treatment. The most common is heat treatment, which means a minimum of 56 °C held for at least 30 continuous minutes throughout the whole profile of the wood, core included. Fumigation with methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride, and dielectric heating, are also approved.
The stamp is the visible proof. Annex 2 of the standard requires four components: the IPPC symbol, a two-letter ISO country code, a code assigned by the national plant protection organization to the producer or treatment provider, and a treatment code (HT, DH, MB or SF). The mark sits inside a rectangular or square border, must be legible and durable, must not be hand drawn, and is preferably placed on at least two opposite sides of the crate. Red and orange are avoided, because those colours are used to label dangerous goods.
Which crates need it, and which do not
The standard covers wood packaging material made from raw wood: crates, boxes, packing cases, dunnage, pallets and cable drums. It lists exemptions, among them packaging made entirely of thin wood of 6 mm or less, and packaging made wholly of processed wood material such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board or veneer made with glue, heat or pressure.
The United States agency APHIS describes the same logic from the importing side: regulated wood packaging that supports, protects or carries cargo into the country must be treated and certified under ISPM 15, and it lists plywood, pressboard, oriented strand board, hardboard, synthetic foam and metal frames among materials it does not regulate. So the question is never only whether something is a crate, but what the crate is made of. For how a crate is actually put together around a canvas, see how a crate is built for an international art shipment.
Importing countries can have their own additional rules, so the destination's plant-health agency is the place to confirm what applies to a given shipment.
Who applies the stamp: the example of Brazil
The stamp is not something a carpenter can simply paint on. The standard says treatment and application of the mark must always be under the authority of the national plant protection organization, which also assigns the provider code.
In Brazil, that authority is the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA). Portaria MAPA 514 of 8 November 2022, as published in the Diario Oficial da Uniao, states that the IPPC mark may be applied only by a company registered with the Ministry or by a service provider accredited by it, and that a wooden packaging manufacturer may apply it if the Ministry authorizes this. Brazil's version of the provider code has six characters, two letters for the federal unit where the company is registered followed by digits, assigned exclusively by the Ministry. The Portaria also says Brazilian export packaging must be treated by a registered or accredited company and identified with the IPPC mark, and that meeting the importing country's requirements is the exporter's responsibility.
What happens at the border without a valid stamp
ISPM 15 itself says that where wood packaging does not carry the required mark, or pests suggest the treatment was not effective, the importing country's plant protection organization may take emergency action. The standard lists detention while the situation is addressed and then, as appropriate, removal of the non-compliant material, treatment, destruction or reshipment. It also asks countries to distinguish between the goods traded and the wood packaging around them.
APHIS illustrates unmarked and inappropriately marked (for example, illegible) wood packaging as problems at United States ports of entry, and points importers to guidance on what to do if they receive an Emergency Action Notification. Brazil's own rule for incoming wood packaging is a concrete illustration. A missing IPPC mark, or an irregular one, is classed as non-conformity; the measures can be return of the goods with their packaging, return of the packaging alone, or destruction of the packaging, and the packaging must be returned or destroyed within up to thirty days (extendable by the Ministry), with the importer or the international carrier responsible. The details differ by country, but the pattern is the same: the question is asked about the wood, separately from the painting.
What the stamp does not do
The stamp answers a plant-health question and nothing else. It does not describe the painting, its value or its category, and it does not stand in for the invoice, the certificate or any tax or duty declaration, which are handled by the customs authority of the destination country. See how a customs broker handles an art shipment.
For Perfeito Studio, international shipping is quoted on request, professional packaging is included, and any import duties or taxes in the destination country are paid by the buyer. The full picture of that route is in the guide to shipping original art internationally from Brazil.
This text is informational and is not tax or customs advice; confirm with the customs authority or a broker.
From the studio
From the studio: a surface to be kept clear of contact
When I look at Amber Strata, 150 x 100 cm, mixed media with acrylic on canvas from the Terra & Ether series (Archive ID AP-TAE-2026-004), I read it the way I read a section drawing. The surface is built in horizontal passages of ochre, bone and oxidized umber, with flecks of gold that catch the light. It is a surface I would not want anything pressed against, which is why packaging, whatever its form, is a conversation about the work itself. The stamp on the timber is a separate matter. It belongs to the wood and to the border, while the painting is documented by its own certificate and Archive ID.
Frequently asked
What does the ISPM 15 stamp on a crate mean?
It means the raw wood of the crate was treated under an official plant-health system and marked as such. The mark carries the IPPC symbol, a two-letter country code, a code for the producer or treatment provider assigned by the national plant protection organization, and a treatment code such as HT for heat treatment or MB for methyl bromide. It says nothing about what is inside the crate.
Does a painting shipped in a cardboard or plywood box need the stamp?
Generally no. ISPM 15 regulates wood packaging made from raw wood, so a cardboard box is outside it, and packaging made wholly of processed wood such as plywood, particle board or oriented strand board is exempt, as is wood of 6 mm or less in thickness. Destination countries may have separate rules, so confirm with the destination's plant-health agency.
What happens at the border if the crate wood is not treated?
ISPM 15 says the importing country's plant protection organization may take emergency action, which can mean detention, removal of the non-compliant material, treatment, destruction or reshipment. The exact measure and who bears the cost depend on the country. In Brazil's rule for incoming packaging, for example, the options are return of the goods with the packaging, return of the packaging alone, or destruction of the packaging.
Who is responsible for the treatment and marking of the crate?
Treatment and marking must be under the authority of the national plant protection organization. In Brazil, the mark may only be applied by a company registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, an accredited service provider, or an authorized packaging manufacturer, and the exporter is responsible for meeting the importing country's requirements. The buyer does not apply the stamp.
Does the stamp replace any customs paperwork for the painting itself?
No. The stamp is a plant-health mark on the wood. It does not replace the invoice, the certificate or any tax or duty declaration for the painting, which are dealt with by the destination's customs authority. A customs broker can explain which documents the destination asks for. This text is informational and is not tax or customs advice.
Considering a work for a destination outside Brazil?
Alyne replies personally, in English or Portuguese, with details on the work and a shipping quote for your destination.
Sources
- IPPC / FAO, ISPM 15 — 2026-10-10
- IPPC / FAO, ISPM 15 Annex 1 and Annex 2 — 2026-10-10
- IPPC / FAO, ISPM 15 Annex 2 — 2026-10-10
- IPPC / FAO, ISPM 15 sections 4.1 and 4.6 — 2026-10-10
- USDA APHIS — 2026-10-10
- Diario Oficial da Uniao, Portaria MAPA 514/2022 — 2026-10-10
- Diario Oficial da Uniao, Portaria MAPA 514/2022 — 2026-10-10
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